CARACOLES FESTIVAL of Samal Island

CARACOLES FESTIVAL
The Festival

Known as the Island Garden City with its beautiful beach resorts, Samal’s people celebrates the Caracoles Festival, also called the Caracoles de Samal, during the 28th and 29th of April every year.

Dubbed as roving Summer Festival of Shells, Caracoles is held as a thanksgiving celebration of Samal’s rich marine  resources and to showcase the beauty of ocean and the social and cultural heritage of Samal Island. Through its many years of celebration, it has attracted more than sixty thousand spectators around the globe. Costumed competitors of sea creatures parade depicting the wonderful world under the sea in an event called Estrella del Mar. At night, custom-made clothes crafted by avant-garde dress designers of Mindanao showcase a fashion event called Gloria Maris. Completing the festival are lined up activities such as Recordida, a motorcade around the city, Kumbera, tasting of delectable cuisines and beverages, Baile Del Mar, Mardi Gras ala Samal Island in the shoreline featuring local talents performing dances and circus acts, Dive Congress, underwater photography workshops and contest, Scubasurero, an event of cleaning the coastal area, bartending competition, Island Culinary Competition, artificial coral enhancement.

Dive Plus is also a part of Caracoles, advocacy for an agenda for policy and action, and enhance sustainable tourism, island destinations, island cuisines, and a lot more. Activities in the festivity one could engage in include motocross racing, island adventure race, battle of the bands competition, and a beauty pageant and fashion design contest.

Caracoles Festival is a part of Dive the Gulf Festival, aiming to promote Davao Gulf as a diving destination, and is one of the three festivals that the Department of Tourism has promoted in the Southern Mindanao. It is among the country’s best events that are most visited by tourists. Being blessed with rich cultural heritage is perhaps one of the appealing factors why the island is a good place to visit.

The Scoop

The Island Garden City

The island of Samal, located at the heart of Davao Gulf, is a thriving tourist destination in the Southern Philippines. Of pristine white sand, the island offers exciting features of wealthy natural resources. Among many nature attractions including the Caracoles Festival are the Coral Garden Marine Park at the Talikud Island where 53 out of 73 genera of corals in the Philippines can be found, and 250 species of aquarium fishes; Puting Bato, the highest peak in the Island of Samal standing 1,346 feet, overlooking the Davao Gulf at the summit; Hagimit Falls, features unique formation of rocks and is well-preserved; Bat Cave, houses variety of bat species and has a length of 1,800 meters with an underground river; Mushroom Rock, a small mushroom-shaped island; and Big Ligid Island, featuring lucious green scenery and an underwater cave.

About 25 commercial resorts and private beaches can be found along the coastline. The seashore is endowed with mangroves, palm trees, and swams. The Island is blessed with beauty of nature such as crystal waters, caves, and flourishing flora and fauna. It is ideal for variety of water activities such as jet skiing and wind surfing. Also, diving spots are numerous with abundant tropica

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